美国名人 伊迪丝·华顿.docx

美国名人伊迪丝华顿EdithWhartonplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-14:46repeatByRichardThoman2004-4-24(THEME)VOICEONE:mPhoebeZimmermann.VOICETWO:AndmDougJohnsonwiththeVOASpecialEnglishprogram,PeopleinAmerica.EveryweekwetellaboutapersonwhowasimportantinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates.Today,wetellaboutwriterEdithWharton.(THEME)VOICEONE:AcriticoncedescribedAmericanwriterEdithWhartonasa"self-mademan."Shelikedthecommentandrepeatedit.OtherssaidshewasaproductofNewYorkCity.ButtheNewYorkshewroteaboutwasdifferentfromtheNewYorkofthosewhocameafterher.EdithWhartonwasborninNewYorkCityinEighteen-Sixty-Two.NewYorkthenwasseveraldifferentcities.OneNewYorkwasmadeupofpeoplewhoworkedforaliving.Theotherwasmuchsmaller.Itwasmadeupoffamilieswhoweresorichtheydidnotneedtowork.EdithwasbornintothewealthyNewYork.Buttherewasa"right"wealthyNewYorkanda"wrong"wealthyNewYork.Amongtherichtherewerethosewhohadbeengivenmoneybyparentsorgrandparents.Thentherewerethosewhoearnedtheirownmoney,thenewlyrich.Edith'sfamilywasfromthe"right"NewYorkers,peoplewhohad'old'money.Itwasagroupthatdidnotwantitswayoflivingchanged.Italsowasagroupwithoutmanyideasofitsown.ItwasfromthisgroupthatEdithWhartoncreatedherself.VOICETWO:1.ikemanygirlsherage,Edithwrotestories.Inoneofherchildhoodstories,awomanapologizesfornothavingacompletelycleanhousewhenanotherwomanmakesanunexpectedvisit.Edith'smotherreadthestory.Heronlycommentwasthatone'shousewasalwayscleanandreadyforvisitors.Edith'shousealwayswas.EdithspentmuchofherchildhoodinEurope.Shewaseducatedbyspecialteachers,andnotatschools.IfEdith'sfamilyfearedanything,itwassharpsocial,cultural,andeconomicchange.YetthesewerethethingsEdithwouldseeinherlifetime.TheendoftheCivilWarinEighteen-Sixty-FivemarkedthebeginningofgreatchangesintheUnitedStates.Thecountrythathadbeenmostlyagriculturalwasbecomingindustrial.Businessmenandworkersincreasinglyweregainingpoliticalandeconomicpower.EdithWhartonsawthesechangessoonerthanmostpeople.Andsherejectedthem.Toher,theoldAmericawasavictimofthenew.Shedidnotlikethenewvaluesofmoneyreplacingtheoldvaluesoffamily.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:InEighteen-Eighty-FivezshemarriedEdwardWharton.Hewashersocialequal.Theylivedtogetherfortwenty-eightyears.Butitwasamarriagewithoutmuchlove.InNineteen-Thirteenrshesoughttoendthemarriage.Thatshewaitedsolongtodoso,onecriticsaidzwasasignofhertiestotheideaoffamilyandtotradition.SomecriticsthinkthatEdithWhartonbegantowritebecauseshefoundthepeopleofhersocialgroupsouninteresting.Otherssayshebeganwhenherhusbandbecamesickandsheneededsomethingtodo.ThefactisthatWhartonthoughtofherselfasawriterfromthetimeshewasachild.Writinggaveherasenseoffreedomfromtherestrictionsofhersocialclass.VOICETWO:Writingwasjustoneofaseriesofthingsshedid.Andshedidallofthemwell.Shewasinterestedindesigningandcaringforgardens.Shedesignedherownhouse.Shehadaninternationalsociallifeandleftalargecollectionofletters.Inherlifetimeshepublishedaboutfiftybooksonanumberofsubjects.ManycriticsbelieveEdithWhartonshouldhavewrittenthestoryofhersocialgroup.Todothis,however,shewouldhavehadtoremoveherselffromthegrouptoseeitclearly.Shecouldnotdothiszevenintellectually.Hereducationandhertraditionsmadeitimpossible.ThesubjectofEdithWharton'swritingbecamethestoryoftheyoungandinnocentinadishonestworld.Shedidnotmakeaconnectionbetweenherworkandherownlife.Whatshehadwastheabilitytospeakplainlyaboutemotionsthatzuntilthen,hadbeenhidden.ShealsowasamongthefirstAmericanwomenwriterstogainasenseoftheworldasanevilplace."Lifeisthesaddestthing,"shewrote,"nexttodeath."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Toshowthatshecoulddomorethanjustwritestories,sheWroteabookwithOgdenCodmanz"TheDecorationofHouses."Itwasverysuccessful.Aboutthesametime,herpoemsandstoriesalsobegantobepublishedinScribner'sMagazine.InEighteen-Ninety-Ninehercollectionofstories,"TheGreaterInclination,"appeared.Itwasanimmediatesuccess.WhenshewasinLondon,shevisitedabookstore.Thestoreowner,whodidnotknowwhoshewas,handedherthebook.Hesaidtoher,"ThisiswhateveryoneinLondonistalkingaboutnow.VOICETWO:Threeyearslaterherfirstnovel,"TheValleyofDecision,"waspublished.Threeyearsafterthatshepublishedherfirstgreatpopularsuccess,thenovel,"TheHouseofMirth.""TheHouseofMirth"isthestoryofayoungwomanwholacksthemoneytocontinueherhighsocialposition.AsinsomanystoriesbyEdithWharton,themaincharacterdoesnotcontrolwhathappenstoher.Sheisavictimwhoisdefeatedbyforcesshedoesnotfighttoovercome.ThisideaiscentraltomuchofEdithWharton'sbestwriting.TheoldfamiliesofNewYorkareinconflictwiththenewlyrichfamilies.Themajorpeopleinthestoriesaretrappedinahopelessstrugglewithsocialforcesmorepowerfulthanthey.Andtheystruggleagainstpeoplewhosebeliefsandactionsarenotasmoralastheirs.VOICEONE:ThisisthesituationinoneofWharton'smostpopularbooks,"EthanFromez"publishedinNineteen-Eleven.Unlikeherothernovels,itissetonafarminthenortheasternstateofMassachusetts.Itisthestoryofamanandwomanwhoselivesarecontrolled,andfinallydestroyed,bycustom.Theyarethevictimsofsociety.TheydiehonorablyinsteadOffightingback.Iftheyweretor